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Rubber compounds

Polymer additives enhance the performance of rubber compounds, providing numerous useful features. These include better extrudability, flame retardancy, rheology, protection against dynamic fatigue, and more consistent fiber and halogen dispersion – across a wide range of applications.

Improving rheology and processing: Smoother surfaces, reduced friction

Traditional process aids/lubricants are surface active substances that reduce the interfacial tension between surfaces, but this often leads to softening of the compound and reduction of physical properties, thermal ageing and oil/chemical resistance. Our alternative is 'the SIDISTAR™ way', using spherical particles, which reduce friction by minimizing the contact area between surfaces. When the particles are small enough, like the 150 nm particles of SIDISTAR™ product, only limited effects on properties can be expected.

SIDISTAR™ product for rubber compounds:

SIDISTAR™ R300

SIDISTAR™ R300 is a specially designed grey-coloured process modifier consisting of spherical, submicron particles of amorphous silicon dioxide.
Product data sheet

SIDISTAR™ R320

SIDISTAR™ R320 is a specially designed light-coloured process modifier consisting of spherical, submicron particles of amorphous silicon dioxide.
Product data sheet

SIDISTAR™ R320U

SIDISTAR™ R320U is a specially designed light-coloured process modifier consisting of spherical, submicron particles of amorphous silicon dioxide.
Product data sheet

SIDISTAR™ M220ST01

SIDISTAR™ M220ST01 is a specially designed light-coloured process modifier consisting of spherical, submicron particles of amorphous silicon dioxide.
Product data sheet

SIDISTAR™ XP320ST69

SIDISTAR™ XP320ST69 is a specially designed light-coloured process modifier consisting of surface modified spherical, submicron particles of amorphous silicon dioxide.
Product data sheet

SIDISTAR™ MB F21

SIDISTAR™ Master-Batch series are designed to provide you with easy dispersibility of Sidistar® in thermoplastics. Sidistar® MB F21 contains 50 % of SIDISTAR™ T120U in an ethylene acrylate carrier.
Product data sheet

Our product SIDISTAR™ offers improved processing and surface finish. These effects can be obtained both in rubbers as well as in thermoplastic compounds. Our customers use these properties in applications like cable compounds, flame retardant compounds, conveyor belts, as well as printer rolls.

The SIDISTAR™ 'ball bearing effect' has clear advantages for both cured and uncured compounds. Significant improvements in mixing energy and efficiency are seen, and there are cases where the number of mixing cycles could be reduced from three to two, at the same time as improving compound homogeneity.

White paper of silica influence on tires

Lowering rolling resistance without impacting abrasion

The influence of silica surface properties on physical performance of tire tread compounds

Improving dynamic fatigue

By adding SIDISTAR™ additive to an elastomeric compound, you can achieve improvement of dynamic fatigue life up to 30–50%. These results can be obtained in a wide range of elastomers, such as NR, EPDM, BIIR and even FKM.

The fatigue improvement originates in the spherical shape and capability of dispersing down to primary particles. The primary particles in SIDISTAR™ have a mean size of 150 nm. The most commonly used SIDISTAR™ dosage, for these fatigue life improvements, lays in the range of 10–15 phr. There is little to no influence observed for physical properties and hardness of the final product.

Today, SIDISTAR™ is mainly used for its fatigue-enhancing properties in applications like anti-vibration pads, bushings and power transmission belts.

Example of flame retardancy
Example of flame retardancy

Improving flame retardancy

Whether you work with a flame-retardant system that relies on halogenated additives, or whether you prefer halogen-free systems,  SIDISTAR™ additives can help you to find improved solutions.

Our product SIDISTAR™ acts as a synergist together with primary flame-retardant materials, to improve the morphology for improved char integrity.

 

 

Halogen-free FR rubber

The SIDISTAR™ additive shows strong synergistic effects in combination with MDH (magnesium dihydroxide, Mg(OH)2) and ATH (aluminium hydroxide trihydrate) by improving its char forming properties. Also significant improvements in processing properties (extrudability) can be obtained.

Halogenated FR systems

Improving costs and performance

The flame-retardant effect of adding 5% SIDISTAR to ATH-containing PVC

In halogenated systems like CR rubber or compounds extended with halogenated additives (like chloroparaffins), ATO (antimony trioxide) is very often used. With SIDISTAR™, it is possible to replace 50% of the ATO without any loss of flame-retardant properties or physical properties, resulting in significant economic benefits.

SIDISTAR™ is classified as a non-hazardous material.

Improving fiber dispersion for faster processing

SIDISTAR primary particles
SIDISTAR primary particles

Incorporation of fibers into polymeric compounds can be a challenge, because they often remain floating on top of the compound and take a long time to incorporate and become fully 'wetted'.

By dry-blending fibres with SIDISTAR™, the incorporation is made a lot easier and at the same time the spherical particles result in a 'ball bearing' functionality, improving the processability of the final compound. This results in faster mixing, better anisotropic behavior, improved process ability, and improved product surface finish.

 

 

Improving special FKM compounds

Colored rubber on bike tires
Colored rubber on bike tires

FKM elastomers are a special case in the rubber world. Unlike other rubber compounds, SIDISTAR™, with its very low specific surface of 20–30 m2/g, acts as a reinforcing filler for FKM elastomers.

SIDISTAR™ is capable of replacing N990 on a 1:1 basis. Physical properties will remain very similar, but dynamic fatigue properties will improve. Since SIDISTAR™ also has grades with an off-white colour, it allows production of coloured FKM compounds without compromising physical properties.

 

 

Polymer additives: Maintaining Elkem’s leadership through sustainable technology

Polymer additives and rubber product formulations are constantly evolving, driven by a need for greater energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness and sustainability requirements, including longer lifecycles and recyclability.

Sustainability at Elkem

To learn more about our sustainability initiatives, check our webpage.

 

More about polymer additives applications

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